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REMARKABLE 




EXPERIENCE 



of 

« REV. S. B. KNERR. 



EDITED BY 
WALLACE W. DILL. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1896, by 

S. B. KNERR, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress Washington D. C 



PREFACE- 



As the writer was urged by many of his friends and 
former companions in the mines, to give an account of his 
experience in permanent form, he sends this little book 
forth to show how wonderfully the Lord delivered him 
from an early grave and from eternal condemnation. 

It is hoped that it may arouse some to a sense of their 
lost condition and decide them upon a life of righteous- 
ness, and that it may quicken the zeal of others. 

It is accompanied by the prayers of 

Your Humble Servant, 

S. B. Knerr. 



# 

Norristown, June 15, 1896. 



1 



Chapter i- 



TT was a bright/ beautiful Saturday morning, 
f the 19th of June 1880, The birds were 
sweetly trilling their matins returning thanks to 
their creator. The green meadow?, the skipping 
lambs, the ripening harvests, and the crystal air 
completed a picture to make a poet sing: ''Then, 
if ever, come perfect days." About a mile 
south of the little town of Breinigsville, in Upper 
Macungie, Township Lehigh Co. , Pa. ; lived in a 
little log house a poor family, toiling hard, day 
by day for their living. The father, Jonas Knerr, 
and two of his sons worked in the iron-ore bed 
for Lichtenwalter and Butz. 

They were poor; but worst of all not looking 
to their Maker, nor heeding the blessed teachings 
of His Christ. Nevertheless, God loved them, 
and sought to win them to Himself, and had a 
plan by which to do this. These boys were 
giowing into manhood; the oldest, Edwin, be- 
ing fifteen, and the writer himself, thirteen, 



2 



On the day we have mentioned, the boys left 
home as usual, full of fun, dinner-kettles filled, 
and in high spirits, thinking not what should be- 
fall them that very day. Their Tather was work- 
ing that week in the hay harvest of Mr. Henry 
Butz, brother to a partner in the mining company. 
On reaching our destination, we bid our fellow- 
workmen pleasantly "Good Morning, 17 hitched 
old Harry, as we called him, to the cart, and 
were soon driving along singing hilariously. Oh, 
how often, as I stand behind the sacred desk and 
look over the congregation with its bright faces, 
it comes to me like lightening that some one 
of them, or myself may be called away before the 
dawn of another day, to meet a just God who is 
no respector of persons, — to think that we may 
not meet again in this world. But know this, 
that we shall meet in the great Beyond, some 
never to be parted, and some to be separated, 
brother from sister, mother from daughter, hus- 
band from wife, pastor from members. It shall 
seem wonderful to us that Jesus ever noticed us 
and saved us for His Kingdom. My dear reader, 
it was afterwards a mystery to me that the Lord 
so wonderfully saved my life, as I shall pres- 
ently show you, but now I see the meaning 
of it all. 



We had been working that forenoon, driving to 
and from the engine house, dumping the loaded 
cart, and returning for more, I well remember 
the last load I took up. I had greeted my friend 
as usual and was coming down the road, when I 
met one of my fellow drivers who had a plan for 
the noon hour. Some of us boys wanted to take 
a bath in a mill-dam near by. I drove my cart 
to the cut, turned the horse around, backed it to 
the place, and commenced to load. We talked 
together till the very last minute, thinking of no 
danger; and the last words my brother said were: 
lt Dicl you see the Boss?" ' 'Yes," said I, "one 
of them." We shovelled away and had the cart 
about half full of ore, when the bank above us 
caved in, struck us to the earth, and buried us 
alive w T ith two to four feet of the iron ore cover- 
ing our bodies. But through it all I was 
conscious; and when I was being dug out I thought 
my brother Edwin was helping, not knowing 
that he lay dead within a few feet of my side. 
Many have since asked me how I felt and what I 
was thinking when thus buried out of human 
sight. We will now endeavor to tell you all. 

God had his hand in it from beginning to end. 
While we lay under the earth, no one dreamed 



A 



that either of us could have been alive; but God 
was using His spiritual fan upon this poor crea- 
ture. No human ear heard, but I was crying 
mightily unto the Lord. And the God of Love, 
whose ear is open to the cry of the needy, sent 
help out of His Sanctuary on high: but He used 
human instrumentalities to save me, and to give 
another chance to win his favor. 

The bank on which we were working was 
twelve feet high, and a drift or indentation was 
near by. As we have said, it was an open cut, 
and we were using horse and cart w T hen the 
cave-in occurred. We had started to under-mine 
the bank the day before, and as it was not sup- 
ported in any way the result was natural. That 
day is to me as though it had been only yesterday. 
While I was covered* nobody but God saw me, 
and my whole life came before me as a panorama. 
All that I ever did stood out before me in great 
letters. It is of no use for us to try to conceal 
anything from God. Then I commenced to pray. 
If you never think of praying during life, you 
will in the last hours. 

If you put it off till then it will almost invar- 
iably be too late. Reader, take advice; don't 
put it off till to-morrow, but today if ye will hear 
his voice harden not your hearts. Accept him 



o 

now as your Saviour— He came to seek and to 

save the lost. 

And when they uncovered my body, how in- 
describably grateful I felt to breathe again the 
pure air. though my b}dy was badly bruised. I 
looked around and saw that they had just carried 
the body of my brother to a shady spot. His 
spirit was gone, his hands and head hanging 
down, and his head crushed. Oh, pitiful sight! 
Hundreds of people rushed to the scene and 
Sympathized with the family and spoke words of 
comfort to the broken hearts. It may be that 
some one may read this that has passed through 
the same experience. Remember that none of 
our family were Christians at that time; and it 
was undoubtedly a call of God to us and to the 
community. 

Then kind and good hearted people laid 
brother Edwin and myself in a carriage side by 
side, — he dead, and I badly wounded, — and the 
driver gently drove down the road. May the Lord 
bless that driver for his care to the wounded boy. 
When we approached the house people were 
crying in great distress . There was sadness and 
sorrow among the people, — and mother especial- 
ly was in deep agony over the loss of her boy 
and the injury to the other. You mothers 



6 



who have lost some dear one, it may be on a 
sick bed, — no doubt it was hard for you; but you 
saw your child dying and could be more easily 
comforted. But we boys left home in the morning 
robust and healthy, and before the clock struck 
twelve we were brought home, one dead and the 
other badly wounded. But the Lord of all Grace 
can comfort under all circumstances. Before 
they brought us home, the good people rushed 
to the house to comfort our parents. How wel- 
COI113 they were in that sorrowtul hour. Their 
words were balm to the broken hearts, and the 
proverb was fulfilled: U A word fitly spoken is 
like apples of gold in pictures of silver. ' ' How 
true that their hearts w r ere open to receive 
some truth and they were drawn nearer to the 
Lord in that sorrowful hour: but how soon they 
forgot. 

I was laid on my bed for weeks, and then 
promised the Lard that if he would raise me up 
I would serve Him to the hour of death. But 
when He restored my health I soon forgot 
these vows. I was soon as bad as before; but 
some good seed had fallen into my heart which was 
not in vain, as you shall hear in the next chapter. 
Preparations were made to solemnize the burial 



{ 



of brother Edwin. On the clay appointed, Tues- 
day, the 23rd of June, the remains were taken to 
the Fogesville Cemetery. The funeral sermon 
was preached by the Rev. Alfred Herman of the 
Reformed Church. The church could not hold the 
people who came to the service. The preacher 
selected as his subject an instantaneous death 
recorded in 1 Samuel, 20th Chapter, and last 
part of the third verse: "There is but a step 
between me and death." He preached a power- 
ful sermon, but I was not able to be present at 
the funeral of my own brother. 

Dear reader, are you prepared to meet your 
God! Death, the King of Terrors will come in 
an hour that you least expect him. 

May the Grace of God be upon you all for 
Jesus sake. Amen. 



Chapter II, 



May His gentle Spirit guide you into all 
truth. As you have passed over the first chapter 
you have seen that the writer had a miraculous 
escape from death. Very truly has Cowpei 
exclaimed: 

''God moves in a mysterious waty, 

His wonders to perform; 
He plants His footsteps in the sea, 

And rides upon the storm." 

God in his infinite mercy spared the write." a 
little longer: for, in that dreadful hour, he was 
not prepared to meet his God. He spared 
him for a purpose. God sees and knows the 
secret intents of man's heart, and so spoke to the 
writer when buried alive as it were. It was not 
the first time. Five years before when swimming 
I narrowly escaped death, being rescued by a 
young companion. Some Scripture references 
may serve to illustrate the writer's experiences 
k 'And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the* 



9 



second time. ' ' Jonah 3:1 "For God speaketh 
once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In 
a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep 
sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the 
bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and seal- 
eth their instruction, that he may withdraw man 
from his purpose, -and pride from man. He 
keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his lif e 
from perishing by the sword," Job 33:15-18. 

De^r reader, perhaps you have passed through 
a similar experience. You may still be spared, 
but it is for a purpose, to perform some work for 
the Master, to be in a position to be used for his 
cause. You who have passed through great 
trouble and sorrow, you are -spared to do some 
special work in the Master's vineyard. The 
men most used to-day are generally those who 
have passed through the school of tribulation and 
correction. kSucIi men can be more used because 
they can better feel for the woes of fallen human- 
ity. As God has said through the prophet of old, 
"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 1 ' 
When His children are in the furnace of affliction 
he shall sit as a refiner and purifier ol silver, and 
when the dross is consumed he shall know it and 
to perform some of his great and mar- 




10 



velous works. Little do we know when*, young, 
where God will lead as. Then let us have the 
motto, "Where He leads I. will follow," and let 
us show perfect obedience to him, for we have 
the promise to eat of the good of the land. 
Great is the goodness of God, If we had a 
thousand tongues we could not express his 
goodness and love toward us. He hath loved us 
with an everlasting love; with loving kindness he 
hath drawn us to himsell, and we can clearly 
say with Solomon: u His banner over me was 
love." 

When covered with the earth and ore, all 
thought that both of us were smothered, and 
they were greatly astonished that! wa^ still alive. 
But as I have said, God, by His holy angels took 
care of me. With God all things are possible. 
Jonah was in the whale's belly three days and 
three nights but when he cried to the Lord, 4: the 
Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out 
Jonah upon the dry land." The experience of 
the water seemed in some sense similar to this, 
■"I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the 
Lord and he heard me." God sent deliverance 
in clue time to save my life. It took some 
amount of strong crying; but, nevertheless, he 



11 



whose ear is not heavy and whose arm is not 
shortened, heard and answered prayer so as 
to be the most effective and beneficent. These 
pages are not written for vain glory but simply 
to show what God does for humanity, and what 
he can and will do for his creatures. He uses 
various ways in bringing his lost sheep into the 
fcld. May the God of Heaven open the eyes and 
ears of everyone who reads these facts. The poet 
has well said: 

''His purposes will ripen fast, 

Unfolding every hour; 
The bud may have a bitter tastp, 
But sweet will be the flower." 

God does not force anyone to himself but in- 
vites and warns and waits. Then be submis- 
sive to his gentle voice and you will be irresist- 
ably down to the Lamb of God which taketh 
away the sin of the world. But some one may 
ask why such rou2,h means are used for some 
"and more ordinary and quiet means for others. 
God is Master of ways and knows all things best. 
Sometime, if not now, you will realize that truly 
all things have worked for your good, whether 
rough or smooth. 



12 



"Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust Him for His grace; 
Behind a frowning providence 

He hides a smiling face." 

In those dark hours the Lord was there smil- 
ing upon His son, His voice was heard saying, 
"Fear not, it is I, be of good cheer and I will 
show you the way of salvation." So, in such an 
hour it is only to hold still and see the salvation 

of the Lord. 

That hour was a dark one to me, but at the 
same time one of the most instinctive of my life. 
The bjautiful sun of the blessed Gospel com- 
menced to shine into my . darkened, miserable 
heart. Though I was young, yet the seed was 
sown and four years later it began to spring up. 
I attended the revival services in Hereford, Berks 
Co., Pa., held by the Rev. Abel Strawn of the 
|tf'. B. in C. in St. John's church. Ashe w^as 
preaching the Gospel, the w r riter was convinced 
of his sin, came to the altar repented and em- 
braced the religion of the Lord Jesus which has 
kept him to the present day. "And I am per- 
suaded that he is able to keep that which I have 
committed unto him against that day." 

It is a very easy matter to turn to the Lord and 



seek salvation; but often hard for people to be- 
lieve that Jesus will so convert the soul as to 
change our vile nature and to fashion it according 
to His own divine nature. Most people do not 
believe this, but the simple, trustful soul just 
believes every word, and so obtains the blessing, 

"If our love were but more simple, 
We should take Him at His word; 

And our lives would be all sunshine 
In the sweetness of our Lord.' ? 

My prayer to God, is that, if the reader has 
not surrendered his will to the divine will and 
appropriated the promises of God by simple faith: 
now shall be the time, 

As you have seen, the Lord Jesus became my 
portion when but a boy. But not having the 
teaching which babes in Christ should have. I 
became cold and fell into a backslidden state 
where so many are today, not knowing that they 
have lost their first love, A few years after, how- 
ever, I started afresh with more zeal and energy 
than ever, commenced to read the German Bible, 
and my soul was again blessed of. God. 

Every minister of the Gospel should teach his 
young converts the use of the blessed Bible which 



14 



is able to make them wise unto salvation. He 
then has the assurance that they will grow in 
grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. The Christian should 
make it a point to use the Scriptures as the pre- 
eminent Lamp to his feet, and Light to his 
path . 

"Oh the Bible, blessed Bible! 

God's truth revealed in its passes. 
It strengthens the young and it comforts the 
old: 

It stands like a rock through the ages." 

And surely in studying the Bible they will nev- 
er be led astray. Why? Because they have hid 
as it were the word of Gocl in their hearts, there- 
fore they cannot sin against him, 9 

When a man is soundly converted, the hunger 
and thirst for the living Word, the Bread of Life, 
is imparted to the soul; and the desire is 
always to know more about Jesus. The w T ay to 
learn more about Him is through His blessed 
Word. Jesus himself said, "Search the scrip- 
tures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life; 
and they are they which testify of me.- " John 5: 
39. And again: u If an} r man will do his will 



15 



lie shall know of the doctrine, whether I speak of 
myself." John 7:17, A true Christian's de- 
light is in the earnest reading of the word, and 
such a one is much used in the Master's vineyard. 
It will be his very delight to meditate on the law 
of the Lord day and night c.s the Psalmist has 
said. Such a one will grow in grace: and people 
will take notice that he belongs to the little band 
which is not easily discouraged .but which is 
steadily going onward and upward, and at last 
will sweep through the everlasting portals never 
to return, but to meet on the shining shores 
where sorrow and sighing shall flee away and 
where the redeemed shall be forever wit h the Lord. 

God knows what is in man and forsees in 
what way he can use him best. His days are 
numbered, and after all they are but few. Just time 
enough to do our mission below and prepare for 
the world to come. He is sowing the seed in 
apparently desolate and waste ground, but then 
be causes the bud of the tender herb to spring 
forth. To some it may seem long coming j but 
in due season it will spring up. Mothers prayers 
will be answered. Not a holy desire breathed 
forth in prayer shall be lost, but in his own good 



16 



time it shall be done to us according to oar faith. 
He is always the best friend in time of need. So, 
when the billows roll over us, let lis fly to Jesus, 
for refuge and strength. 

4 'The raging storms may round us heat, 

A shelter in the time of storm; 
We'll never leave our safe retreat, 

A shelter in the time of storm. " 

Is Jesus all this to you in time of trouble? The n 
let us hide in the rock, w 'in the rock that 's 
higher than I,' 1 and then we will never be disap- 
pointed. For, it we meet what is usually called 
disappointment and call it His appointment, 
He will surely satisfy with goodness the longing 
of the soul. 

There is a time when men think they have no 
need of God. when all is going smoothly, when 
in prosperity and good health. So he is with- 
out God and remains an alien to the common- 
wealth of Israel. But God still loves him and 
brings hi in to a halt, because it is not his will 
that -any ^oui should perish but would have all 
men to be saved and come to the knowledge of 
truth, Therefore with some He must use the 
} od of affliction to draw them from destruction 



17' 



and to holy things. When you are sorely af- 
flicted it does not seem sweet nor the work of a 
loving hand. But then is th^ time to stop and 
consider: 

' The bud may have a bitter taste, 
But sweet will be the flower," 

Dear reader, you may have passed through 
such an experience: no doubt it was bitter at 
first, but if you have been submissive the open- 
ing; of the flower was sweet. 

I came across a certain dear old mother, once, 
who related to me the story of her boy, who, 
years before, had left his home in the morning 
well, but before sunset was brought home dead. 
As she related this to me the tears coursed down 
her cheeks; and the blessed words of Psalmist 
came to my mind ; 4 'They that sow in tears shall 
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth 
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again 
with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him. ' ' 
So we find that such tears as these are not lost 
but, as David saith, they are bottled. 

Well do I remember, when in agony of 
/ spirit I cried unto the Lord, he heard me. 
The God of infinite compassion in mercy 



18 



delivered His son from the horrible pit. 

Many friends have asked me as to how I felt 
when covered by the cold earth. At first it was 
dark, oh, how dark! But as I commenced to 
pray there shone a ray of light into my poor 
benighted heart: and then soon they brought me 
to the pure air again. But oh, how sad I felt to 
know that my dear brother was dead, — the one 
I had loved so dearly to be so suddenly snatched 
from my side and to be called to that long eter- 
nity beyond. I shall never forget that dying hour 
of my brother to my dying day Yet God was in it 
all, for I was warned to flee from the wrath to come 
and my brother was taken where no night shall 
come but endless noon and joy unspeakable. 
And shall we not soon be gathered home, too? 

When at last to our home we gather 
With the loved ones gone before 

We will sing on that happier shore, 
Praising him for his love evermore. 

Then we w r ill say, the best friend to have is 
Jesus, in life or in death. Thanks be to God for 
the knowledge that those who are on the way 
are journeying to a home above where sorrow 
and sighing shall flee away, where the wicked 



19 



11 cease from troubling and the weary are at 

L 5 ' - ;- v 

"No night shall be in heaven; no gathering gloom 
Shall o'er that glorious landscape ever come. 
No tears shall fall in sadness o'er those flowers 
That breathe their fragrance through celestial bowers. 

''No night shall be in heaven/forbid to sleep: 
These eyes no more their mournful vigils keep; 
Their fountains dried, their tears all wiped away. 
They gaze undazzled on eternal day. 

"No night shall be in heaven; no sorrow reign. 
No secret anguish, no corporeal pain, 
No shivering limbs, no burning fevers there, 
No soui's eclipse, no winter of despair. 

"No night shall be in heaven, but endless noon; 
No List declining sun, no waneing moon; 
But there the Lamb shall yield perpetual light, 
Mid pastures green and waters ever bright. 

"No night shall be in heaven; no darkened room. 
No bed of death, nor silence of the tomb. 
But breezes ever r resh with love and truth 
Shall brace the frame with an immortal youth. 

"No nighfshall be in heaven ;but night is here, 
The night of sorrow, and the irghtot'fear 
1 mourn the ills that now my steps attend, 
And shrink from others that may yet impend. 



20 



"No night shall be in heaven. Oh, had I faith 

To rest in what the faithful witness saith, 

That faith should make these hideous phantoms flee. 

And leave no night henceforth on earth tome." 

Kind reader, if you are on the Lord's: side 
look to him for your strength and make the 
Bible the man of your counsel, and by so 
doing you will be prosperous on your Christian 
journey. And you who are not His, turn ye, 
tun ye! As the prophet saith! "Look unto 
me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: 
for I am God, and there is none else/' 

May His gentle spirit guide and lead each one 
of you into all truth, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



Chapter in. 



Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and 
to hearken than the fat of rams." 1 Sain. 15 : 22. 
You have seen already how wonderfully gracious 
the Lord was to the writer. In a dangerous 
place, how short-sighted we are! It is only when 
we have passed that point that we see the hand 
of the guardian angel. But God knows all 
things best, and in order to draw us tc himself 
he often has to use the rod of affliction . Oh then, 
beloved, let us fly to His loving breast in the 
time when all is well and favorable, — when we 
can give our fullest powers and our best service. 
There is a special promise to the young: "I love 
them that love me and those that seek me early 
shall find me." As we know these things let us 
attend to them at once, departing from all evil 
and cleaving to that which is good. Then you 
shall be rich toward God, think of it? You shall 
say with David; ' 'surely goodness and mercy 



22 



shall' follow me all the days of my life, and I will 
dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 

The lesson of life is obedience to God. How 
few have learned it. But those who have can say 
truly that obedience is grand and the fruit there- 
of is lasting sweetness. And what of disobedi- 
ence? Is not the result always sadness, gloom, 
and a troubled spirit? Have we not all more or 
less shown disobedience in our past life, and has 
not the fruit been bitter? At first it may not ap- 
pear to be so, bat remember it will come as sure 
as darkness follows day. But, thanks be to God 
we are invited to return, and he w T ill abundant- 
ly pardon, return to give the Master loyal service 
and loving obedience. And, if we are willing 
and obedient we shall eat of the good of the land . 
By nature we are all inclined to disobey and to 
be rebellious; but, praise His dear naniQ, He has 
promised to change our vile natures and to fash- 
ion us according to his own divine nature. Isn't 
it a glorious heritage? Our stubbornness will he 
forgive and cast all our sins into the sea of obli- 
vion, never to remember them against us any 
more forever. For, as by one man's disobedi- 
ence many were made sinners, so by the obedi- 



23 



ence of one shall many be made righteous. So 
there is hope for you and me if we will only ac- 
cept the proffered salvation . 

Through disobedience we have fallen into 
trouble, misery, and darkness. Then w T e say: 
"If we had only known that this would have 
been the end, how differently we would have 
done." Disobedience leads to bondage, and at 
last to the perdition of hell. Then hope is gone. 
Friend, rouse from your sleep and serve the true 
God! That alone brings true happiness in time 
and eternity. So shall your light shine more and 
more unto the .perfect day. Your pat"h will 
shine with the light ol heaven, and the angels of 
God will whisper comfort to your soul. Your 
life will be a blessing, and your influence a be-ne 
diction Jesus himself will make his abode m 
your heart. Then, beloved, let us adopt the 
rule of perteet obedience. Your children and 
your children's children will rise and call us 
blessed. Jesus will bless you and anoint your 
head with the oil of gladness, and truly yourcup 
shall run over. Many shall be bles-ed by your 
life, and when the end comes it will only be to fall 



24 



asleep in Jesus, "blessed sleep, from which none 
ever wake to weep.' 7 Blessed are the dead which 
die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the 
Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and 
their works do follow them. By which route 
will you go? Reader, take the Gospel route which 
is obedience; so your testimony will be; "The joy 
of the Lord is my strength. 5 '' If you have that 
joy then you are strong: if you are spiritually weak 
it is because you are destitute of the joy resultant 
from faithful service. When you were first con- 
verted, all was bright and joyous and you were 
willing to do anything for the Master. But you 
had just begun to go to school. Presently the 
way was shown for you to do something for the 
Master which was apparently too hard. You 
refused saying "Somebody else can do it better 
than I." Take care! That is the first step in 
disobedience. Remember, nobody else can do 
vour work. So-and-so may be more talented for 
the work, but the Lord wants to lead you out 
in the way of obedience. They have grown in 
grace and you must grow, by implicit obedience, 



25 



"We have no wings, we cannot soar; 

But we have feet to scale and climb 
By slow degrees, by more and more, 

The cloudy summits of our time. 

"The heights by great men reached and kept 
Were not attained by sudden flight, 

But they, while their companions slept, 
Were toiling upward in the night. 

"Standing on what we too long bore 
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes, 

We may discern — unseen before — 
A path to higher destinies." 

Take courage then, Brother, Sister — there is 
something good in store for you. No matter how 
i. significant, or how difficult, without question- 
ing commit thy way unto the Lord and He shall 
prosper thee. 

You may think yourself called of God to preach 
lis Gospel. But are you willing to work at 
ome? Do you say / 'There is nothing for me to 
o at home?" Why, bless your soul there is 
something everywhere for you to do. A seeking 
for pre-eminence in the work is a frequent hin- 
drance, -look out for it! A person with the 
working spirit within him is the busiest, and 



26 



God is using such every day to His Glory. There 
is room for any number of workers. We cannot 
all go out into the mission fields at home or 
abroad, but we can all work and do our share 
right where we are. The greatest preachers in 
the eyes of God are those of perfect obedience. 
They do not need to be educated to walk with 
God and show a bright example which is the 
most effectual preaching. 

A washerwoman may walk before God as a 
queen and before men as an example, though her 
prayers be ungrammatical and her testimon- 
nies halting and broken. 

To obey is better than sacrafice? 1 ' How true 
the writer has found this in his experience. 
When first converted he felt called to preach the 
Gospel; but by disobedience he grew cold in 
faith. Like Moses of old he had many excuses 
to offer: he had a stammering tongue and no 
apparent ability for the office and w T ork of the 
ministry. At first he did not obey the gentle 
voice of the Spirit, but God presently brought it 
about in a most mysterious manner. His word 
was "Go, I will be with thee." Bless God, I 
then obeyed, took the gospel trumpet, and went 



27 



on the Lord's mission. He has helped me, and 
where he leads I will follow. In conclusion, let 
me urge you, dear reader to obey the Holy 
Spirit. There are many spirits gone out trying 
to deceive, if possible, the 'very elect. But try 
the spirits. If they correspond w r ith the Word, 
he tn they are ot God. First, knowthat you are 
prompted of the Holy Spirit, then follow at once. 
Stand by your colors; stand for righteousness- 
and God will bring you out all right in the end. 
You shall be satisfied when you awake in his 
likeness: the portals of glory shall afford an 
abundant entrance, and you shall obtain the 
crown which fadeth not away. 

God grant it for His name's sake. Amen. 



THE END 



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